The man strode forward with the slow, deliberate steps of a predator who knew his prey had nowhere to run. His cloak, dark and weatherworn, parted just enough to reveal the worn leather harness strapped across his chest, where an array of daggers, vials, and strange metal implements were secured in tight loops. He moved like someone accustomed to violence, his steps light despite his imposing build. The flickering lantern light shadowed his face, but as he neared, the details became clearer—strong, angular features, a jaw lightly dusted with stubble, and the kind of scars that told stories he didn’t bother to share.

  Otter couldn’t tear his gaze away from the man.

  The barmaid, who had been ferrying drinks to another table, took one look at the man and promptly turned heel, disappearing into the back. A few other patrons casually shifted their chairs away, but there were a few long and appraising looks falling on the man. This was, after all, a tavern for Adventurers.

  The man’s eyes—sharp, colorless as river stones—swept the room again. Hunting. Then, they locked on Otter.

  Otter felt the weight of that stare settle over him like a net being drawn tight.

  He swallowed.

  "Otter?" Erin's voice was barely more than a whisper beside him, her fingers tightening subtly around her mug. "Do you know that guy?"

  "No," Otter said, too quickly. "I don't think so."

  The stranger crossed the room without hesitation. Though he had to weave through tables, he made it look as though he were taking the most direct path toward where Otter sat. His steps were smooth, unhurried.

  Otter forced himself to breathe. He had no idea what this man wanted, but he was here with his friends. Surely there was safety in numbers.

  And then, the stranger was there. For a long moment, he simply stared. Then he pulled something from his belt—a small, metallic device—and tapped it once. A soft chime rang out and the air above the device lit up with projected text.

  Officer: Varek Holloway

  WARNING: ACTIVE BOUNTY DETECTED.

  SUBJECT: MATCH LIKELY.

  STATUS: UNCLAIMED.

  Otter’s heart skipped a beat. A bounty? On him?

  Milo, sitting across the table, noticed the way Otter’s face drained of color. “Uh…what was that?”

  The bounty hunter’s voice was gravel and steel. “Stand up.”

  Otter didn’t move. “I think you have the wrong person.”

  The bounty hunter barely blinked. “My tracker doesn’t seem to think so.”

  Levi’s hand drifted toward his belt, where a small dagger was sheathed. Liora didn’t move at all, but Otter felt the change in her posture—a shift in weight, a quiet readiness.

  Piper swallowed hard. “This is…a misunderstanding, right?”

  The bounty hunter’s gaze flicked to her, then back to Otter. His expression was unreadable, but his stance shifted—more controlled now, more prepared.

  “I don’t make mistakes,” he said flatly.

  Otter felt the press of a hundred eyes on him.

  He forced himself to stay calm. “I don’t have a bounty.”

  Varek tapped his device again. “That’s not what this says.”

  Otter’s mind raced. As he read the notice again, he saw something off. The bounty wasn’t his. Not exactly. The name wasn’t fully displayed. Only the surname remained.

  Bennett.

  Otter’s blood turned to ice. Not him. But the bounty hunter didn’t know that.

  “I’m telling you,” Otter tried again, voice steady despite the way his pulse thundered in his ears, “you’ve got the wrong person.”

  “Stand up.”

  Otter’s fingers tightened around the edge of the table. Fight or flight coiled in his muscles, a decision pressing against his ribs.

  And then Erin moved. She stood abruptly, her chair scraping back against the wooden floor. “I think we’re done here.” She grabbed Otter’s wrist.

  And hissed under her breath—“Move.”

  The hunter’s eyes flicked to her. It was only a fraction of a second, but Levi was ready. With a sharp kick, he sent their table crashing over, scattering plates, mugs, and silverware across the wooden floor.

  Milo’s fingers danced as he whispered an incantation, and a sudden burst of light erupted between them and the bounty hunter. A brilliant, blinding flare, white-hot and dazzling, engulfed their immediate surroundings.

  Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

  Otter flinched as his vision whited out. Shouts rang through the tavern—confused, angry, alarmed. The bounty hunter let out a harsh growl, staggering back as the spell disoriented him.

  “Go, go!” Erin shouted, gripping Otter’s sleeve.

  They darted right, trying to slip around the stunned bounty hunter, but his reflexes were too sharp. Even half-blinded, he turned and snapped out a hand, fingers closing like a vice around Otter’s collar.

  The force of the grab yanked Otter backward, nearly off his feet.

  “Not so fast,” Varek snarled. His grip was iron, pulling Otter toward him.

  Then Liora barreled into the man from behind.

  She slammed into his back like a cannonball, sending him lurching forward—straight into a table of unsuspecting patrons.

  Chairs tumbled. Drinks spilled. A burly man with scarred knuckles and a thick beard stood so fast his chair skidded back, knocking over yet another table.

  “What the hell—?”

  The next moment, the entire tavern exploded into mayhem.

  Someone grabbed Varek, thinking him the cause of the disturbance. A fist swung. Another chair flipped. Within seconds, a full-on brawl had ignited around them.

  “Perfect,” Erin muttered, eyes darting toward the door. “Let’s—”

  She stopped abruptly.

  Their exit was blocked.

  A small man in a dark coat stood in the doorway, arms crossed, his expression unreadable. He had an air of quiet menace, the kind that made Otter’s instincts scream danger.

  “Another one?” Milo hissed under his breath.

  The bounty hunter had a partner. And they were trapped.

  Suddenly, a wild shove from the brawl sent Otter stumbling backward. His boots caught on something, and he crashed into a tapestry hanging from the wall.

  The fabric tore from its wall anchors and instead of falling into a stone wall—he was falling into empty space.

  A narrow, dusty corridor yawned open behind him, concealed behind the tapestry.

  He barely had time to process what happened before Erin grabbed his arm and hauled him through.

  “Come on!” she hissed.

  Liora followed without hesitation, dragging Levi and Milo behind her.

  They tumbled into the dark passage, the muffled sounds of the tavern brawl still raging behind them.

  Piper yanked the tapestry back up and hastily fastened back into place. It wouldn't withstand much of an inspection, but it might buy them a few seconds.

  Then she slipped inside, and shadow swallowed the passage.

  They stumbled forward through the narrow tunnel, coughing as dust swirled around them.

  Otter’s heart pounded. He didn’t know where they were going, but at least it was somewhere else.

  After what felt like an eternity, the passage opened into a wide, dimly lit chamber.

  They emerged into what looked like an old, forgotten cellar. Barrels and crates sat stacked in the corners, covered in cobwebs and dust. The air was thick with the scent of stale ale and damp earth.

  A wooden door was set into the far wall. With a hearty shove, Liora forced it open, and they spilled into a darkened alley.

  Outside, they paused.

  Milo coughed, peering left and right. “Where are we?”

  Otter wiped sweat from his forehead. “No idea.”

  The group took a moment to catch their breath, exchanging glances.

  No one spoke.

  Then, after a few moments of silence, they realized something.

  No footsteps. No pursuit.

  Liora exhaled slowly. “I think… we lost them.”

  Relief swept through them like a wave. Levi chuckled, leaning against a barrel. “That was way too close.”

  Levi grinned. “Well, at least it was fun.”

  “Lucky thing you found that secret exit,” Erin said.

  “Yeah, lucky,” Otter murmured, wondering just how much his Luck stat had helped.

  “Okay, which way back to campus? I think I’ve had enough excitement.”

  Otter swiped his wrisplay, landing on the arrow that always pointed north. He quickly got his bearings and said, “Follow me. Pretty sure its this way.”

  He moved down the alley at a brisk walk, the others right on his heels. This felt a lot more like home. He turned a corner and bounced off something solid. Then a hand clamped down on his shoulder.

  Somehow, the bounty hunter had tracked them here.

  He stood in the only exit, his presence filling the space like a storm cloud. His eyes gleamed, cold and predatory, like a wolf that had finally run its prey to ground. The easy smirk was gone. Now, he simply looked focused. “This has been fun, kid,” Varek said, voice low and measured. “But I’m done chasing you.” He took a step forward.

  Otter’s fingers tightened into fists. Behind him, he felt his friends tense.

  Then the cold bite of metal snapped around Otter’s wrists.

  The sound sent a jolt of pure panic through his system, but his body was too rigid to react. Steel cuffs. Heavy and rune-etched. Designed to suppress magic—not that he had any to suppress.

  “Finally,” Varek muttered, securing the manacles with a click. “You sure made me work for this one, kid.”

  Otter’s friends were frozen, silent but seething. Liora’s fists clenched at her sides. Levi’s foot shifted ever so slightly—like he was calculating how hard he could kick the man in the ribs before he could react.

  Milo was probably seconds away from casting something reckless.

  “Don’t,” Otter warned, meeting Milo’s eyes. “Just… hold on.”

  Milo gritted his teeth but held back.

  Otter took a deep breath, forcing himself to think. His heart was hammering. Likely match. That’s what the notification had said in the tavern. Likely. Not definitive. Not confirmed.

  Otter looked up at Varek sharply. “Wait. You said your tracker tagged me as a match, right?”

  The bounty hunter didn’t even look at him. “Obviously.”

  “But it said likely match.”

  “That’s generally as good as it gets. The client will verify.”

  “And what if you’re wrong? I’m a student at the Academy. Surely there are consequences for you if you arrest the wrong person.”

  The man hesitated, but only for a second. “Show me your wrisplay.”

  Otter held up his arm and showed him his profile page. The man inspected it quickly.

  “Yeah, it says your surname is Bennett. That’s a match.”

  Otter shook his head. “I know that’s what your tracker said, but it didn’t show a given name. Why is that?”

  He shrugged.

  “You must have some other way to verify? What about your objective? Doesn't that provide more specific details?”

  The bounty hunter narrowed his eyes, but looked to his own wrisplay and swiped through a couple of screens. After a moment, he frowned.

  “Let me see your profile again.” He looked at Otter’s. “Dammit.” Then he called to the small man standing behind him. “Stand down, Sherm. He’s not the right guy.”

  Otter didn't need to see the man’s display to know what it said.

  Current Objective: Apprehend Elias Bennett.

  His father.

  The father he barely remembered. The father who disappeared over a decade ago. The father everyone assumed was dead.

  Varek shook his head and pressed a rune on the cuffs. The metal bindings snapped open, releasing Otter’s wrists. He stared hard at him for a long moment, then bent down and in a softer voice said, “Do you know where he is?”

  Tears formed in the corners of Otter’s eyes, but he shook his head. “I haven’t seen him since I was little.”

  Varek nodded, then straightened. “Sorry about the mix-up, kid.” With that, Varek turned and walked back down the alley in the direction he’d come, Sherm following in his wake.

  Otter’s brain, swirling with thoughts, finally made a connection and he blurted out, “Does this mean he’s still alive?”

  Without stopping, Varek shrugged. “I hope so, kid. Finding him is the only way I get paid.”